He finished second in a reality show, but let’s face the facts: Josh Krajcik has talent which didn’t need a Simon Cowell-led talent show to showcase it. So it doesn’t come as a surprise to hear Blindly, Lonely, Lovely showcasing his blues-tinged growl over larger-than-life arrangements which accentuate his ability to merge blues, rock and pop, all within a slick package.

“Back Where We Belong” brings “big” to the forefront, with its massive arrangement of piano, thundering drums and Krajcik’s lung-deflating vocals, and at times the song itself becomes overwhelmed by that top-heavy heft. Sometimes less is more, which “Nothing” illustrates as the album’s opener. That’s the song which needs to be spread around the internet as the reason this guy needs to be heard. That or the southern-blues keeper “The Remedy,” which could have fitted itself nicely into any Ray Lamontagne album yet released, or at the least as a John Mayer Continuum b-side. Steep yourself in those vocals at the chorus, along with that rising tide of horns, and try not to get swept up in the mood.

This isn’t an album he’ll be able to build a whole career on, but clearly reality success didn’t spoil him — he’s used the time in the Fox spotlight to build an audience and then released an album perfectly in line with what those fans wanted to hear, free from obsessive studio interference. With album tracks like “Don’t Make Me Hopeful” and the album-closing stunner “Let Me Hold You” anchoring this mix, there’s plenty to hope for in this songwriter’s future. If you weren’t already sucked in by the solid craft illuminated by his first two independent albums (try “Atavistic” on for size if you don’t believe me), I can’t think of a better mainstream introduction to his sound than what Blindly, Lonely, Lovely delivers.

I’d been surprised to see him on X-Factor, since I’d already had copies of Ghosts and Atavistic floating around my collection. Clearly he didn’t need to win that $5 million contract and wind up under full Cowell control, but with a wider-reaching fan base, hopefully this album will build good word of mouth :)

I am a huge Krajcik fan. I love his originality and the way he infuses jazz, blues, and soul to tell his story. Thank you for writing this article about him, Josh deserves for his story to be told. I wish him nothing but the best.

I am a huge Josh fan. He is Music personified….Awesome. @ Kroessman… You can hear Josh’s 2 previous albums~”Ghosts” and “Atavistic”~ on~~ Grooveshark.com ~~ ” They are great….Check them out, it is legal!